Rest And Work Series

Rest and Work

Genesis 2:1-3

Greetings:

Introduction: The word rest is forgotten by modern world. Work culture has overtaken everyone. Many have the Work-alcoholic spirit. I am busy, I was busy and I will be busy are the common words used in these days. But God was concerned about rest. Rest to our body, mind and soul. This month we will mediate on the themes rest and work, rest and worship, rest word rest and fellowship.

The first three verses of the chapter 2 of the book of Genesis is continuation of the previous narrative, and contain its Divine purpose. Shabbat means ‘to desist’. Shabbat is a Day of rest.

Joke:

A little boy was telling his mother about his role in a play that was being done at school.

His mother asked, "What is the role you will play?"

The boy responded, "I shall play the role of a husband," to which the mother replied, "Well, you go back and ask your teacher that you want a SPEAKING role!"

1. Working days (Genesis 2:1)

If you want to enjoy more, if you want to live long, if you want to be blessed in everything and every place then work only for six days. Close your office on Sunday. Retreat on that day. Change your course of action for a day.

The six creation-days, according to the words of the text, were earthly days of ordinary duration (Keil and Delitsch). God took six days for completion. No permanent change has ever since been made in the course of the world, no new species of animals been formed, no law of nature repealed or added to. They could have been finished in a moment as well as in six days. (Jameison Fausset Brown).

John Gill: Perfected and completed in the space of six days, gradually, successively, in the manner before related; by the word and power of God they were on the first day created out of nothing, but they were not perfected, beautified, and adorned, and filled, until all the creatures in were made by six days.

MacLaren: We are not to look to Genesis for a scientific cosmogony, and are not to be disturbed by physicists’ criticisms on it as such. Its purpose is quite another, and far more important; namely, to imprint deep and ineffaceable the conviction that the one God created all things. God saw that it was good.’ His ideals are always realised. The divine artist never finds that the embodiment of His thought falls short of His thought.

Pulpit: With the creation of man upon the sixth day the Divine labors were brought to a termination, and his work to a completion. The two ideas of cessation and perfection are noted. Not simply had Elohim paused in his activity, but the Divine idea of his universe had been realized. The finished world was a cosmos, arranged, ornamented, and filled with organized, sentient, and rational beings, with plants, animals, and man; and now the resplendent fabric shone before him a magnificent success - God looked his creations and said "behold, very good." All creations were good but humanity was very good.

Jesus Himself said, My Father has been working until now, and I have been working (John 5:17). We are commanded to work six days. “He who idles his time away in the six days is equally culpable in the sight of God as he who works on the seventh” (Clarke).

What about your working days. Are they planned, executed accordingly or diverted and incomplete? God has created everything very thoughtfully and meticulously. There was a purpose in it.

On the first day God created the heavens and the earth, and light. On the second day he divided the sky and created the oceans. On third day he created the dry land earth, grass, fruit tree. On the fourth day, he created the lights in the heavens such as stars, sun and moon. On the fifth day he created the moving creatures, fowl. God blessed the creatures and fowls to fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the sea and on the earth. On the sixth day God created the living creatures, cattle, beasts, and creepers. Then on the same day God created Man as male and female. He blessed them to multiply, to be fruitful and to replenish the earth, subdue it and have dominion over all creatures in the seas, on the earth, and in the air (Genesis 1:1-30).

There was a plan, there was priority and there was a purpose in doing things.

2. Resting Day (Genesis 2:2-3).

Yes, we are free from the legal obligation of the Sabbath, but not the importance of a day of rest. Exodus 31:17 says that on the seventh day God rested, and was refreshed (KJV), and on the seventh he ceased and recovered (LEB). God enjoyed over his completed work. He was satisfied. There was a job satisfaction. There was a feeling of completeness and purpose being understood.